Security firm sues Mpilo Hospital

Mashudu Netsianda Senior Court Reporter
A BULAWAYO security firm, Manifest Security (Pvt) Ltd has filed a lawsuit against Mpilo Central Hospital for allegedly failing to settle more than $1 million debt accrued over a two-year period.

According to the summons filed at the Bulawayo High Court last week, Manifest Security Company is the plaintiff while Mpilo Central Hospital was cited as the defendant.

Manifest Security through its lawyers Cheda and Partners, accuses Mpilo Central Hospital of breaching the contract by failing to pay about $1,1 million for services rendered between February 2013 and February 2015.

“Sometime in 2012, the State Procurement Board on behalf of the defendant invited tenders for the provision of security services to Mpilo Central Hospital and the plaintiff was declared winner of the tender by the Administrative Court. Manifest Security commenced its contractual obligations of providing security services from February 2013,” said the lawyers.

According to the court papers, as part of the agreement, the hospital was supposed to pay the security company on a monthly basis, but it failed to settle its dues fully resulting in the debt.

“The defendant has not fully discharged contractual obligations to pay the plaintiff for the security services rendered on a monthly basis. Between February 2013 and February 28, 2015, Mpilo Central Hospital made only 20 payments to Manifest Security leaving accumulated arrears of about $1,1 million which debt the defendant acknowledged,” read the summons.

Manifest Security is also claiming payment of the money with an interest of five percent per annum from the date of summons to the date of full payment.

The security company is also seeking an order compelling Mpilo Central Hospital to pay the cost of the suit at attorney-client scale.

Mpilo Central Hospital has not yet filed opposing papers.

Manifest Security Company and Mpilo Central Hospital have since the beginning of the year been locked in a protracted legal wrangle following threats by the hospital to terminate the security company’s contract under unclear circumstances.

Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Nokuthula Moyo in February granted a provision order barring the hospital from terminating services of Manifest Security.